Review: Dave Hause – With You

Philadelphian punk poet Dave Hause, who is widely known for his rugged exterior, hard-hitting vocals and strong presence within the hardcore scene, joined forces with Noisey and leaked “With You”, the first track from his upcoming full-length album Bury Me In Philly which is set to be released today via Rise Records. It was co-produced by Eric Bazilian, William Wittman and various other industry artists. Bury Me represents a turning point for Dave and highlights multiple key factors: growth, optimism, realisation and change. For example, Dave recently made the consecutive decision to quit drugs and alcohol – this album symbolises a new and reformed take on his work from the period 2006-2013+.

Regardless of whether you’re a fan of Dave or you’re familiar with the likes of Resolutions orDevour, it is evident that he has a distinctive sound which is present even within his acoustic numbers. His music doesn’t follow a coherent style nor is it ever fully set in stone therefore leaving room for improvisation and innovation. His solo work displays a different side to him from a musical and emotional perspective, in comparison to his vocal and instrumental performances in his past/present bands: Paint It Black, The Loved Ones and The Falcon, all of which possess strong elements of power, anarchy and pure angst.

“With You” is easily identifiable given Dave’s fervent vocals and the surprisingly upbeat instrumentals which have been chosen, both of which are in contrast to one another considering the song is fueled by pensive and doleful lyrics e.g. “Oh, ache with me and I’ll ache with you.” If there’s one thing I’ve noticed within the past couple of years of being a follower, it’s that his lyrics go hand-in-hand with his default tone, whether it is intentional or not, his songs are always followed up with an important life lesson which is a unique attribute to share as a musician. As a whole, it is refreshing to be able to continue to grasp onto the sound that I am familiar with, without feeling as though I’m hearing the same songs being played over and over again. I’m definitely eager to hear more!

Dave Hause is touring across the UK with The Mermaid on the following dates:

March 12th – Brighton

March 13th – Leeds

March 14th – Manchester

March 15th – Glasgow

March 16th – London

March 17th – Bristol

March 18th – Birmingham

March 19th – Nottingham

Brian Fallon from The Gaslight Anthem states that he has “always found the heart of a true believer in Dave Hause. He always has his eyes steady, focus forward, on making each song better than the last.”

Bury Me In Philly is available to purchase now on Rise Records and Dave’s website.